At Your First Visit
* Your initial consultation will include a review of our Privacy Notice followed by a complete review of your past medical and dental history. If you rely heavily on the opinion of others before making treatment commitments, you are encouraged to bring all the decision makers with you to this consultation. They can be taking notes while you listen or act as a sounding board. We don't want information lost in translation if decision maker does not come and you have to relay the consultation findings to them.
* We will ask what you want to change about your smile and what questions you have about braces or the brace-less alternatives, ClearCorrect, Invisalign and Invisalign teen.
* We will do a detailed examination of your face, jaws and teeth including a caries risk assessment. We want your teeth to be properly aligned but they don't want to change the more desirable features of your face.
* We will explain any diagnostic tests (x-rays/radiographs, photos/digital images and impressions of the teeth) that are necessary to plan treatment. These diagnostic tests record the position of the teeth and jaws. X-ray/radiograph radiation is minimized by using films with intensifying screens that produce higher quality images with less radiation and by using special shields that block radiation to the thyroid/neck and below. Making impressions of your teeth involves pressing a tray filled with soft putty onto your teeth. After a minute, the putty hardens and is removed from your mouth. The hardened putty is now a mold which is filled with plaster to form an exact copy of your teeth. There is no substitute for having all the information that these diagnostic tests can provide. This is one area where taking shortcuts (skipping diagnostic tests) can lead to improper diagnosis and treatment. the Maryland State Dental Association website states that an examination without radiographs is pure guesswork. We will keep these diagnostic tests indefinitely because they can be used to explain treatments proposed and carried out.
* We will try to answer the following questions: Can my problem be corrected? Have we corrected similar problems before? How long will it take? When should treatment begin? What kind of appliance or device will be used? What must I do for treatment to succeed? What are the pros and cons of braces and Clear Aligner Therapy? Do my teeth need to be thinned or shaved in width for treatment to succeed? Will temporary plastic bumps called attachments have to be placed on my teeth to aid in their movement? How much will my care cost? What payment options are available?
* We will custom tailor treatment for you.
* We will explain that if you want Clear Aligner Therapy, you must have any dental care that will change the shape of their teeth completed before the Aligner impressions are taken. If the shape of a tooth is altered after the impressions are taken, the aligners may no longer fit and treatment can progress no further.
* We assist your family dentist in your dental health care, but we don’t replace your family dentist who remains your primary care provider. We will not be checking for cavities during your visits unless the cavity is very obvious. This is why it is important for you to see your family dentist for a cleaning, cavity check-up, sealant and fluoride varnish application and periodontal evaluation every 3 - 6 months based on your caries risk assessment.